The Alpha Wolf's Enemy (Wolves of Anchorage 2)

Derek

So Roman wasn't overly concerned about Derek’s suspicions that the female he was dating was a spy.

That was okay. Derek was perfectly capable of investigating her himself. And that's just what he would have to do. Yes, he'd fallen in love with her, and he also suspected that she was his mate. But that did not mean he would allow her to hurt anyone in his pack.

He didn't think he would be able to hurt her either. But he could restrain her and take her back to the pack, and make her explain herself. Or he could take her away again until he could get to the truth. Maybe there was some explanation that was more palatable.

She’d just come by, acting really oddly. He shouldn’t have let her leave.

He called her, but she didn’t answer. He started looking for her, realizing that he had never been inside her apartment, which also seemed weird, given how much time they’d spent together. He knocked and rang the doorbell, but she didn’t answer that either. He pried open the door, hoping she didn’t have an alarm set. There was no one there.

He started walking away from her apartment, following her scent. It was clear that she had recently gone into the woods. Had she gone for a run? Or could she be in danger as well? What if the vampires had targeted her too?

He picked up his phone and called her again. She answered immediately.

“Derek!” she yelled. “Don't–”

He couldn't hear the rest of what she said because there was a loud scuffling sound.

"Kyra! What's wrong?” Even as he heard the words, he could feel a sharp wave of distress coming through the bond. He hadn't even been aware that they were bonded but there was no other explanation for that abrupt feeling.

“Derek! I’m s–”

The line went dead. She’d hung up the phone. Or someone had hung it up for her.

Did vampires have her? Were they going to kill her just like they'd killed Jesse? He couldn't let that happen.

It was bad enough that they'd killed Jesse; he would not let this happen to her. No matter what she had done – and he still had no idea what that might be – she did not deserve to be murdered by a vampire. He would do anything, even give his own life to stop it.

He briefly considered calling Roman, but he didn't want Roman involved, not yet. If things got dire, then he'd call him in.

Finally, he found her scent in the woods. "Kyra. I'm here. I'm not going to give up until I find you."

Then he smelled it – there was clearly an unusual smell, one that did not belong to a shifter or human, one that he never smelled out in these woods before. Was it a shifter that had done something to cover his or her scent?

Was it something else? Then he smelled copper.

Vampires. They were here, close to Kyra.

It had been years since he encountered a vampire, but he would never forget the copper-like scent of them. It was so much more subtle than a shifter, but distinctly different.

He picked up his phone. He was definitely calling in reinforcements. He would let Roman decide who needed to come out. Roman knew his concerns and he knew the risks. Derek trusted his brother completely. Before he could dial, he felt someone at his back.

"Put the phone down,” a male voice said.

"How are you going to make me?” Derek asked.

He could fight a vampire. He wasn't scared of them. Not for himself anyway, but Kyra? Did she know how to protect herself? He would have to weigh the risks of engaging or trying to get away and get Roman to come help.

Just then he felt Kyra scream.

No.

He spun in a circle looking for her, but he couldn't see her. She was close by? Had her scream come through a speaker or a microphone? No. It had been in his mind.

He felt her agony through the bond. What were they doing to her?

"That's how. You feel her distress. I can see it. So, throw the phone into the creek or we will be forced to make her scream again.”

He tossed the phone into the water, watching as it sank. He steeled his nerves, trying to erase the memory of her agony.

He was going to save Kyra even if he died trying.

Fuck. Shifters had survived for a long time without cell phones, just as humans had, but they sure made it a lot easier to communicate.

He could always shift and howl, and get Roman’s attention that way. But communication by howling was much easier when everyone was out on pack land and not separated by half a city that contained buildings, people, and cars.

Kyra, don’t worry. I’m coming for you.